Update on AMA's Scope of Practice: June 8, 2006
The American Dietetic Association (ADA) this week has written a letter to the American Medical Association (AMA) and called for a national summit for all healthcare professions to openly discuss scope of practice and other issues. The action came after ADA completed a set of discussions with associations representing both physicians and a variety of non-physician practitioners on issues related to the AMA’s Scope of Practice Partnership (SOPP) and its Resolution 814.

SOPP is a long-term effort by the AMA that funds research to examine the education and training, academic requirements, licensure, certification, ethics, governance, disciplinary processes and other professional tenets of various allied health professions. It also explores the role of non-physicians in providing care in rural and
other underserved areas. Based on the outcome of that research, the SOPP could lead to physician advocacy in state capitals to curb the scopes of practice for some professions. Resolution 814 requires the results of this research be reported back to AMA for consideration and potential action.

ADA has learned that SOPP is not interested in dietetics scopes of practice in any state. There are no known cases of complaints of dietitians “practicing medicine.” Instead, challenges to dietetics scopes of practice have largely come from other non-physician practitioners, as well as non-credentialed or alternatively-credentialed “nutritionists.”

ADA’s Board of Directors felt these circumstances underscored the need for ADA to act independently of a larger coalition simply opposing SOPP and AMA Resolution 814. The Board also expressed concern that protracted battles in state legislatures over multiple scopes of practice could damage the reputation of all healthcare practitioners, including registered dietitians.

“ADA believes there is a need for all health care professions to come together for productive discussions that promote safe and optimal care,” says ADA President Judith Gilbride, PhD, RD, CDN, FADA. “We hope we can work together with AMA and other associations of health professionals to create a venue where we can openly discuss Scope of Practice and other critical issues. We propose a national summit to explore how well-functioning, multidisciplinary teams of health professionals, practicing within their appropriate scopes of practice, can best serve patients. The advantage of a summit of the professions is that it may lead to solutions and advancement of care better than those likely to occur in political settings.”

To read and study the report on SOPP prepared for the AMA’s June meeting,
visit: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/471/bot24A06.doc

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